Today I find myself writing about the simple ways in which the people I care most about inspire me. I am naturally reflective which I suppose contributes positively to my impact as a life coach and while sometimes everyone is looking at “the bigger picture” I find myself reading the lines in between…while many may be admiring how calm the still waters are, I on the other hand would be wondering how deep the still waters go. To top it all off, some great factors have combined to create excellent writing conditions, such as heavy rain last night (thus a misty and cold morning) and most important, the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day.
My closest friends inspire me through their acceptance. There are so many things that friendship can give us but for me one of the simplest but most powerful is acceptance. Think about this for a minute, the idea that I am your friend regardless of your weaknesses, regardless of the changing tides and choices you make, regardless of your “contribution” to the friendship…I am your friend, period. I have friends that I don’t interact with as often as I would want, especially given the hectic intensity of establishing a business, but I know that I can still count on them any time…that when we eventually sit down to have a conversation or speak on the phone, it’s like pressing play on a movie that you paused for five minutes, the friendship just goes on stronger than ever. This is the acceptance of our individual lives, with the assurance that our friendship is strong and able to be constant even without the grand gestures and social activities that one might expect.
My family inspires me through their belief in me. When I’ve made decisions that may contradict the general expectation, they’ve worried for me but they’ve believed in me. I could wake up today and declare I’m running for president, as long as my reasoning and attitude seems to be of sound mind, my family would not laugh at me, they would help me calmly weigh the pros and cons of the decision, ask me If I’m sure and then shrug and go, well this is Joyce I’m sure she can do it. This is truly one of the greatest factors that has helped me achieve some of the unique things I have, knowing that I have that strong pillar of support…even if I fail, they believe in me to get up and try again.
Lastly, my relationship inspires me through its moments…Happy moments, complex moments, sad moments, funny moments, spiritual moments…all its moments. With relationships, it’s easy sometimes to get caught up in the drama, or to get caught up in only the good times, what family say, what friends say and the cycle goes on and on. The balance of all these things and also the moment when I can stop, smile and realize that I’m very happy inspires me to be grateful for the good things in my life and for this person that I share so much with.
Take a few moments and think about the people YOU care most about and how they inspire you…Valentine’s Day is sometimes as simple as friendship, love and inspiration.
